Sumwise

Percentage Change from 60 to 40

From 60 to 40 is a 33.3333% decrease

Change
-33.3333%
Difference
-20
New ÷ old
0.666667
Direction
decrease

Sumwise · Maintained by Theo Abbott (pen name) · automated checks · Data: exact arithmetic; unit definitions from NIST SP 811 · Updated · How the checks work

How to work it out

  1. Difference: 40 − 60 = -20
  2. Divide by the starting value: -20 ÷ 60 = -0.333333
  3. Multiply by 100: -33.3333%
  4. Check: Work forwards from the start: 60 × (1 − 0.333333) = 60 × 0.666667 = 40.

In a spreadsheet: =(40-60)/60*100. Always divide by the starting value, not the new one. A rise from 40 to 50 is +25%, but the fall from 50 back to 40 is −20%.

What the result means

The new value is 66.6667% of the old one: for every 100 at the start there are now 66.6667, so 33.3333 out of every 100 have gone.

Sales: a price cut from $60 to $40 is a 33.3333% discount.

Why the change back is different

A 33.3333% fall followed by a 33.3333% rise does not bring you back to 60: it gives 53.3333. The second percentage is taken of 40, not of 60, so to undo this change you need 50% instead.

Related results

Results for nearby numbers
60 to 38

From 60 to 38 is a 36.6667% decrease

60 to 39

From 60 to 39 is a 35% decrease

60 to 41

From 60 to 41 is a 31.6667% decrease

60 to 42

From 60 to 42 is a 30% decrease

60 to 50

From 60 to 50 is a 16.6667% decrease

The other way round: Percentage change from 40 to 60. Percentage change is not symmetric: from 60 to 40 is -33.3333%, but from 40 back to 60 is 50%, because the starting value is the base. For a comparison that is the same both ways, use the percentage difference between 40 and 60: 40%. See Percentage difference between 40 and 60.

Practice

12 to 55
Show answer

From 12 to 55 is a 358.3333% increase

50 to 20
Show answer

From 50 to 20 is a 60% decrease

72 to 93
Show answer

From 72 to 93 is a 29.1667% increase

86 to 52
Show answer

From 86 to 52 is a 39.5349% decrease

15 to 38
Show answer

From 15 to 38 is a 153.3333% increase

34 to 96
Show answer

From 34 to 96 is a 182.3529% increase

Calculate another

How answers are calculated and checked: methodology.

Questions

Percentage Change from 60 to 40

Going from 60 to 40 is a 33.3333% decrease. Formula and steps.

Is going from 60 to 40 an increase or a decrease?

A decrease: the value fell by 20, which is 33.3333% of the starting value.

What is the percentage change from 40 back to 60?

50%. It is a different number because the starting value is now 40, not 60.